The International Olympic Committee is preparing to implement a significant policy change that would prevent transgender women from competing in future Olympic Games, with new regulations expected to be announced next year.
Major Shift Under New Leadership
The proposed ban represents the first major policy shift under new IOC president Kirsty Coventry and is anticipated to take effect ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. This development comes as US President Donald Trump has taken a firm stance against transgender women participating in women's sports since returning to office.
Currently, individual Olympic sports establish their own eligibility criteria for athletes. However, this decentralised approach appears set to change following a presentation by Dr Jane Thornton, the IOC's medical and scientific director.
Scientific Approach to Eligibility
Dr Thornton delivered what has been described as a "scientific, factual, dispassionate and unemotional" analysis of the situation to IOC members during recent commission meetings. The IOC confirmed these discussions in an official statement, noting that "the working group is continuing its discussions on this topic and no decisions have been taken yet".
The proposed policy is reportedly designed to cover DSD (differences of sexual development), effectively banning women who possess male chromosomes and elevated testosterone levels. This issue became particularly contentious during the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Recent Controversies and Precedents
The debate around sex eligibility in Olympic sports gained prominence when boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting won gold medals in Paris amid significant scrutiny. Both athletes, who are not transgender, had been disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the since-expelled International Boxing Association over unspecified eligibility concerns.
Under the IOC's management of boxing at the past two Olympics, which applied previous sex eligibility standards, both fighters were permitted to compete. However, World Boxing, the organisation set to oversee the sport at LA 2028, has since introduced mandatory sex testing for all competitors.
Prior to these developments, Laurel Hubbard made history as the first openly transgender woman to compete at an Olympic Games when she represented New Zealand in weightlifting at Tokyo 2021. Hubbard, who had previously participated in world championships and Commonwealth Games, failed to complete her three lifts and finished last in her division.
The IOC is proceeding cautiously with the proposed rule changes to avoid potential legal challenges, indicating that further information will be provided as discussions progress.
